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Smart substitutes

Try these ingredient alternatives to make your favorite Thanksgiving dishes a little leaner. • Use fat-free chicken broth or vegetable stock for turkey basting, gravy and any other dishes that call for broth or stock. • Use sugar substitutes in place of sugar and fruit purees in place of oil in baked goods. • Cut the salt and butter. Dietitian Candice Krebs suggests cutting what most recipes call for in half. • Try plain yogurt or fat-free sour cream in creamy dips, mashed potatoes and casseroles instead of cream cheese or high-octane sour cream. • Use two egg whites in place of one whole egg. • Use a 1:1 ratio of flour and skim milk in lieu of heavy cream. • Substitute applesauce, prune puree or wine for oil, depending on the recipe. Applesauce can also be used in lieu of eggs to make many recipes vegan.

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It's called Turkey Day for a reason. Beyond the giving thanks part of the holiday, Thanksgiving is all about the food. If ever well-behaved eaters chuck the diet and dig into a piled-high plate of fat and carbohydrates, this is the day most will choose.

But even for the most adamant comfort-food gobblers, there are a few ways to make this Thanksgiving healthier than the last without sacrificing the culinary heart of the holiday.

Slow down

In lieu of watching what you eat on a holiday where the traditional menu is often nonnegotiable, registered nurse Sharon West recommends just watching how you eat.

“It's recommended that we chew 20-26 times before swallowing,” West said. “This step supports eating less while still feeling full and satisfied.”

Candice Krebs, a registered dietitian with Mission Hospital, also recommended staying hydrated before and during the feast to avoid overeating.

“Drink a glass of water before the meal so your thirst doesn't affect the amount you're eating,” Krebs said.

“Just try to eat mindfully and tune into how full you are. Ask yourself, are you enjoying your food? Are you savoring it?” she said. “Don't just eat mindlessly — you'll eat more that way, and you won't enjoy what you're tasting.”

In preparing for the onslaught of holiday calories, Krebs suggests that saving up for the big meal may be counterproductive.

“You don't want to come to Thanksgiving dinner ravenous,” Krebs said, “as that will just make you eat more and enjoy it less. Eat a good breakfast and even a light snack an hour before the meal rather than saving calories for later in the day.”

Smart substitutes

“To me, Thanksgiving is all about the side stuff — that's what people really get into,” said head chef Jason Sellers of the downtown vegetarian restaurant Laughing Seed Café. “Almost all of those favorite family dishes are easily interpretable as vegetarian.”

Sellers recommended one simple substitution that will please vegetarian guests and can lower sodium for carnivores — vegetable broth.

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“It can be very rewarding to make your own stock from fresh vegetables,” Sellers said.

Vegetarian broth can be substituted for meat-based broths in everything from traditional stuffing and gravy to vegetable casseroles, he said. “That's one thing that can definitely be just as rich and delicious as stock made from animal products.”

But even for meaty Thanksgivings, Sellers says there are always choices a good chef can make to create a healthier meal.

“The important thing is to choose high-quality fats,” Sellers said. “It's the lower-quality, processed fats that really lay people out after eating. Rethink the ingredients of traditional dishes with things like coconut milk and quality virgin olive oil as alternatives — the dish will still be yours but just healthier.”

Krebs agreed that a few smart switches can make almost any recipe healthier. She also warned healthy eaters to beware of low-fat alternatives that pump up the chemical count and cut down on flavor.

“Sometimes it's better to use a smaller portion of the real thing rather than gobs of the fake stuff, because it's less flavorful,” Krebs said. “You just have to look at the big picture. Look at how processed the ingredients are, at sodium and at what kind of chemicals may be added to make it lower fat.”

Trot first, chow later

Even for those who can't bear the thought of any edible compromises, there's still a way to add some healthy pep to your Thanksgiving step.

Asheville's eighth annual Turkey Trot 5K, on Thanksgiving morning at Carrier Park, is a great way to burn a few pre-feast calories.

The event, sponsored by Jus' Running, should attract about 1,500 runners and walkers this year with room for 5K novices and enthusiasts alike. Registration is $25 until Monday, then it's $30.

Apart from the trot, Krebs recommends a family stroll as a way to get some Turkey Day movement.

“Before or after the meal, make it a family tradition to walk around your neighborhood or even visit a local park to get a little exercise,” Krebs said. “Getting moving in any way is a good thing.

“At the end of the day, it's OK to indulge,” she said. “Just eat mindfully, watch your portions, and really you'll feel much better and be making better choices.”